Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Oct 6: In a tragic road accident, three school going students and a female teacher died while 54 others, mostly students, were injured when a heavily overloaded minibus rolled down in a deep gorge on Udhampur-Barmeen Ghordi road, this morning.
The accident took place around 9. 40 a.m near Hartyan-Kaldi village, around 22 kms from Udhampur on Barmeen-Ghordi road, under the jurisdiction of Ramnagar Police Station, when driver of the overloaded minibus JK14C-0741 lost control over the vehicle, which rolled down into deep gorge , Surinder Gupta, DIG Udhampur-Reasi Range, told the Excelsior.
One student died on the spot while two other students and a middle aged female teacher succumbed to their injuries on way to the hospital while 54 injured are admitted in District Hospital Udhampur for undergoing treatment, informed Dr Narinder Bhatial, Superinten-dent of DH Udhampur.
More than a dozen, among those admitted in the hospital, are under constant observation as they were seriously injured in the accident, the Superintendent further said and added that a number of them have sustained head injuries.
Among the injured , 37 are students of Government Higher Secondary School Barmeen while maximum of the others are teachers, who were on way to the school. The deceased were identified as Sushil Singh (16), son of Ashok Singh of Barmeen , Anil Sharma (15), son of Raj Kumar of Amba Lehar, Preeti Devi (17), daughter of Kansar Singh of Sulgar and Bishnu Devi, (45) wife of Badri Chand of Sangoor.
Extreme overloading and poor condition of the road was apparent cause of accident. The 23-seater minibus, which took off from Udhampur at 8.30 a.m, was carrying 58 passengers, maximum of whom were hanging around the vehicle and sitting on its rooftop, said one of the injured passengers.
The accident took place when the minibus was crossing a small culvert and due to overloading, driver could control the vehicle, which rolled down in adjoining deep gorge, the victim added.
While a student namely Sushil Singh died on the spot, three others, including female teacher, succumbed to their injuries on way to the District Hospital Udhampur even as locals and the Police had immediately rushed to the spot and started evacuation of the victims.
MLA Chenani-Ghordi, Dina Nath Bhagat, also reached the spot soon after the accident but he had to face wrath of the locals who allegedly manhandled him and raised slogans against him. As the MLA fled the scene and took shelter in a shed, the angry people stoned his official vehicle and broke its window panes. Later the MLA was taken to a safer place by the Police party, which reached there and pacified the agitating mob that was holding the leader responsible for bad condition of road, which led to the accident.
According to the DH Udhampur authorities, the injured were identified as Pooja Devi D/o Shankar Chand , age 18 years, R/o Hartryan, Rimpy Devi D/o Paras Ram, age 16 years R/o Sulgar , Raj Kumar S/o Kali Dass age 16 yrs R/o Amba Lerdhar, Swati Sharma, D/o Mohan Lal age 16 years R/o Hartryan , Reva D/o Ramesh Singh age 16 years R/o Hartryan, Madhu Devi D/o Sukh Devi age 16 years R/o Amba Lehar, Sushma Devi W/o Kali Das age 32 years R/o Barmeen , Rajesh S/o Govind age 44 years R/o Shiv Nagar , Subash Chander S/o Shankar Dass age 40 years R/o Jandrore, Shivali D/o Balkrishan age 15 years R/o Amba Lehar, Kishore Kumar S/o Lt Des Raj age 49 years R/o Udhampur, Rajesh Raina S/o Om Parkash age 43 years R/o Omara Morh Udhampur, Rekha D/o Bhim Singh age 15 years R/o Hartryan, Rahul S/o Madan age 16 years R/o Hartryan, Varinder Singh S/o Jagdev Singh age 15 years R/o Hartryan, Ravi S/o Khem Raj age 18 years R/o Barmeen, Anil Kumar S/o Mohan Lal age 17 years R/o Hartryan, Seema Devi D/o Pritam Singh, age 19 year R/o Amba Lehar, Ritu D/o Nanak Chand age 15 years R/o Hartryan, Sunil Kumar S/o Shankar age 17 years R/o Hartryan, Raj Kumar S/o Kali Dass age 17 years R/o Amba Lehar, Shallu Devi D/o Jagdev Singh age 18 years R/o Balter, Sunita Sharma W/o Ali Kumar age 32 years R/o Industrial Estate Udhampur, Manisha D/o Uttam Singh age 17 years R/o Hartryan, Suman Sharma D/o Naryan Dass, age 17 years R/o Hartryan; Seema Devi D/o Bal Krishan, age 16 years R/o Amba Lehar; Pooja Sharma D/o Om Parkash, age 18 years R/o Hartryan; Ameet Ali S/o Ala Din, age 25 years R/o Tanal; Anuradha, D/o Kali Dass, age 15 years R/o Hartryan; Vandhan Devi W/o Vijay Kumar, age 36 years R/o Barmeen; Sheetal Sharma D/o Subash Chander, age 16 years, R/o Amba Lehar; Rashmi Devi D/o Romesh Kumar, age 18 years R/o Sulgar; Usha Devi D/o Om Parkash, age 15 years R/o Balter; Lalita Devi, D/o Subash, age 16 years, R/o Amba Lehar; Ashu Devi, D/o Gujuru Ram, age 16 years R/o Hartryan; Meenu Devi D/o Rajinder Kumar age 15 years R/o Kaldi; Suman Devi D/o Ravinder Kumar, age 16 years R/o Hartryan; Dara Singh S/o Rattan Chand, age 15 years R/o Hartryan; Mohan Lal S/o Rattan Chand, age 36 years R/o Battal; Renu Devi, D/o Mohan Lal, age 17 years R/o Sulgar; Gyan Chand, S/o Bishan Sharma, age 50 years, R/o Karwoya Jagheer; Rajinder Sharma, S/o Shankar Das Sharma, age 36 years R/o Upper Barmeen; Anu Radha D/o Makhan Lal, age 14 year R/o Amba Lehar; Ranju Devi, D/o Naryan Dass, age 14 years R/o Hartryan ; Sunil Kumar S/o Sham Lal, age 16 years R/o Balter; Ankush Kumar S/o Baldev, age 16 yeas, R/o Barmeen; Kuldeep Kumar S/o Gyan Chand, age 17 years, R/o Barmeen; Vivek Vishal, S/o Omkar Chand, age 30 years, R/o Barmeen; Suman Devi, D/o Baldev, age 14 years, R/o Barmeen and Lalita Devi, D/o Sham Lal, age 17 years, R/o Sulgar.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Governor N N Vohra, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh and others have expressed their grief over the tragic road accident and prayed for peace to the departed soul.
Conveying her sympathies to bereaved families and prayer for peace to the departed souls, the Chief Minister has wished speedy recovery to the persons injured in the accident.
In a condolence message, the Governor has also conveyed his sympathies to the members of the bereaved families and prayed for peace to the departed souls. The Governor has re-iterated his regret and serious concern that the regulatory authorities; particularly the Traffic Police, have yet to take adequately deterring measures to ensure against operation of old and technically unfit vehicles, inadequately trained drivers, overloading of passenger carrying vehicles, over-speeding on narrow and poorly maintained roads etc.
Dr Jitendra Singh, MoS in PMO and MP Udhampur-Doda Parliamentary constituency, while expressing his grief over the accident, lamented that despite sanctioning of funds under CRF, the Udhampur-Barmeen-Ghordi road could not be macadamized so far due to the failure of State Government, which did not release the approved funds.
Minister for Health, Bali Bhagat personally visited the DH Udhampur and met the injured. He enquired about the treatment being provided to the injured and directed the hospital authorities to provide best medicare to them.
Minister for Forest, Choudhary Lal Singh and MLA Udhampur Pawan Gupta also visited the district hospital and enquired about well being of the injured.
DIG Udhampur – Reasi Range (now DIG) Surinder Gupta and Deputy Commissioner Udhampur Neeraj Kumar immediately rushed to District Hospital Udhampur and took stock of arrangements for the injured.
Meanwhile, MLA Chenani Dina Nath Bhagat has accused the police of not protecting him while some students tried to attack him when he was on his way to rescue the people who met the road accident in Ruabagh area of his Constituency today.
Mr Bhagat in a statement said that he was not provided the adequate security by the authorities despite his repeated pleas and alleged that the students and teachers of a local school were instigated to attack him by the Principal of the School. They ghearoed him and also turned his vehicle turtle.
The MLA said that the 40 km long Udhampur to Ghordi road has been given the administrative approval by Union Surface Transport Minister, Nitin Gadkari over a month back during his meeting with him in presence of Union Minister in PMO Dr Jitendra Singh.
He said it is unfortunate that the delaying tactics adopted by the State Government in sending the DPR to Centre has been cause that its construction was not taken up in hand till date. Bhagat also criticized the State Government and R&B Department for delaying the important projects and creating the problems for the MLAs who have to face the public wrath during such eventualities.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
